Automobile theft-preventing device



Dec. 10, 1929. P. F. MULCAHY ET AUTOMOBILE THEFT PREVENTING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1929 IN VEN TORS Pia zZzp ijyzzZaaiay Zjz'a/vz 6.

ATTORNEYS.

We BY Patented Dec. 19, 192% PHILIP F. MULGAHY AND WILLIAMC.-COONY, OFvNEW YORK, N. Yil

AUTOMOBILE ririin'rrnnvnnrine DEVICE r Application filed May 15,

Experience has shown that in urban communities t is majority of cases of successful theft oi automobiles has been of those that are left parked the curb or in driveways.

5 Various devices have been proposed for lock- 1U lations forbid the parking of ing" the doors, ignition, transmission and other parts of an automobile, but such de vices have not proven satisfactory. Moreover, in some communities fire or police reguan automobile with the doors locked.

.lhe principal object of the present invention is to provide a device which, upon parkng the automobile, the owner or driver may operate to expose a suitable signal to view and lock it in exposed position, so that in case the automobile is unlawfully driven away a policeman or other person seeing it pass with the signal in position are at once notified that the automobile is being unlawfully driven, the signal preferably being such that a traffic oliicer may plainly see it as the automobile approaches from a distance Another object ot the invention is to pro vide a theft preventing device of the character indicated which is of simple, strong and durable construction, easily operated by an authorized person, and reliably safeu'narded against operation by an unauthorized person.

These and other objects of our invention and features whereby they may be attained will be readily understood from the follow inp; description and accompanying drawings,

in which F igure 1 is a front view of the upper portion o'l an automobile having our improved theit preventing device applied thereto with the signalling means thereof projected so as to be exposed to view through the Wind shield of the automobile;

Fig". 2 is a view in perspective of the device;

3 is a front view of the device with a portion of one side of the casing thereof and certain, other parts removed; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan View taken on the line i l of Fig. 3.

Our improved device is illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings applied to an automobile 1929;] semi as. $3,240.

2 having the usual wind shield fl, and steering wheel 6, As shown, the device is provided with a thin; square CitSlllg" having vertical side pieces 8, a l'io'ttom"1O secured thereto, a top 12 secured on the upper ends ottlie side pieces 8 and front and jrear side plates 14: and 16., The top 12 is provided with a slot through which a slide 18 extends. This slide formed from a flat plate is substantially of invertedll-form, it having upper end portio'1i20 andverticallegs 22. The longitudiiialedges oi the 'slide'-are" received in guidinggrooves 242411 the side pieces 8 so that the slideis smoothly guided, The slide is adapted to be" projected so as to expose the end portion 20 above the casing bymeans of knob 26 whoseshanlr extends through arr elongated slot 28 in the front wall of thecasing; The slide" is adapted to be locked in projectedpositionby a lock boltSO which is projected into a, locking recess in one legof the slide. The actuating mechanism for the bolt may be ot'any suitable construction and, as shown, isenclbsedwithin the casing 3t secured to the back \valloftlieloclfc case. Thebolt actuatingmechanism ispr erably controlled by means of a common type of combination lock niccha nisni havi ga knob- 36 and afdial 37, the knob shank 38 eatending), through the lock case 34 and being suitably connected with theusual rollbaclrs (not shown) for operating the lock bolt.

The front side of the endy ortioi 20 ofthe slide may bear the word Parked or other suitable indicia. p p

The "device maybe secured on the cowlboard of the automobile in a suitable position sothat when the slide is projected and locked in position, the projected or signal end ofthc slide may beplainly visible throughthe wind shield ofthe car.

With thisconstruction when the car is parked at the curb or other parking place the owner ordriverinayprojeet the slide2 0 and by means of the coinbinationlock mechanism and bolt lock the slide in projected position; Wl en the slideis thuslocked in projected po sition, in case a personunlawfully drives away with theautomobile, the word Parked on the "projected "endi of the slide will be? ion plainly visible at a distance so that a trafiic officer or other person may be put on his guard as he sees the automobile approaching. The owner or lawful driver would of course re- 5 Erect the signal before driving the automo- 1 e. The parts of the device are of strong and 7V durable construction, the mounting of the signal slide'is such as to ensure smooth and easy 10 operation, and the provision of means for moving the slide independently of the lock mechanism permits the slide to be made of the necessary weight and strength.

If desired means may be provided for illu- 5 minating the signal in any suitable manner so that it may be visible after dark.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, our invention permits various modifications May, 1929.

PHILIP F. MULCAHY. WILLIAM C. COONY.

without departing from'the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

. What we claim is:

1 1. A theft preventing device of the class described having, in combination, a casing for attachment to the cowl-board or other suit able part of an automobile, a member mounted to;slide in said casing to project one end thereofbeyond and retract it into the adjacent end of the casing, said member having a notch therein, lock mechanism comprising a 80 lock bolt. adapted to be projected into said notch when the slide is in projected position to lock the slide in this position, and manually operable means independent of the lock mechanism for moving the slide when unlocked into and out of said projected posi- 'tion. 1 a

2. A theft preventing device of the class described having, in combination, a casing for attachment to the cowl-board or other 40 suitablepart of an automobile, an inverted U-shap'edslide mounted in the casing and adapted to be moved to project the upper end thereof above and retract it into the casing, one leg of said slide being provided with a 4 notch, lock mechanism comprising a lock bolt arranged between the legs of the slide and adapted to be projected into said notch when the slide is .in-projected position to lock the slide in this position, one side of said casing 0 having an elongated slot, and a knob having its shankextending through said slot and secured to the other legof said slide for moving the slide into and out of projected positio when said lock boltis retracted.

'3. A theft preventing device-of the class described having, in combination, a casing for attachment to the cowl-board or other suitable part of an automobile, an inverted U-shaped' slide mounted in the casing and guided at its longitudinal edges so as to per-v mit it to be moved to' project the upper-end thereof beyond and retract it into the casing, the inner edge of one leg of said slide being providedwith a n'otch, lock mechanism com- 71 prising a lock bolt adapted to-be projected 

